The present application relates to a seat device for use in a vehicle that enables a person sitting in a wheelchair to get in and out of a vehicle and also relates to loading a wheelchair into a vehicle.
Technology for enabling a person sitting in a wheelchair to get in and out of a vehicle can be broadly categorized into the following two categories of technology. The first technology uses the wheelchair as is for the vehicle seat. In other words, the seat of the vehicle is also used as the wheelchair. With this first technology, a person sitting in a wheelchair can get into a vehicle together with the wheelchair as is. However, it is better for the wheelchair user to be able to select a wheelchair that is the best for them. When the vehicle seat is used as the wheelchair, there are restrictions in selecting the optimal wheelchair.
The second technology is what could be called a “separately placed wheelchair method” where the person sitting in the wheelchair transitions to a vehicle seat, after which the wheelchair is loaded into the vehicle. With this second technology, the range is broadened for the wheelchair user to select the wheelchair that is best for them. Technology such as this second technology is well known (see for example Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-306539 (FIG. 1)).
The seat device for use in a vehicle may be provided with a loading part equipped on the vehicle for loading the wheelchair, a transfer mechanism for moving the wheelchair to the prescribed loading part after the person sitting in the wheelchair has transitioned over to the seat, and an operation switch equipped on the vehicle for operating the transfer mechanism. When the person sitting in the wheelchair (passenger) transitions over to the vehicle, the seat is moved from the cabin of the vehicle through the door opening to the loading and unloading position outside the vehicle. The passenger having thus transitioned over from the wheelchair to the seat moves the transfer mechanism over the wheelchair, which has been folded, and attaches the wheelchair to the transfer mechanism. Next, the wheelchair is loaded into a prescribed position of the vehicle by operating the transfer mechanism to lower the wheelchair into the loading part. Meanwhile, the passenger can get into the vehicle by returning the seat where the passenger is sitting to the cabin of the vehicle from the loading and unloading position.